Day suggests there will be changes at ‘bullied’ Boro’
IT WAS another heart-breaking week for the Farnborough faithful who witnessed their side lose 0-2 at Hendon in midweek, before being knocked out of the FA Trophy at Step 4 Frome Town on Saturday.
Boro’ travelled to Silver Jubilee Park on Tuesday last week to play mid-table Hendon on their 3G surface. Young midfielder Tomas Kalinauskas was handed his full debut after moving from fellow League opponents Hayes & Yeading United.
A slow start proved costly when Shaun Lucien fired a strike from the right wing into the goal via the near post after eight minutes.
Hendon then doubled their lead on 26 minutes with the unmarked Joe White allowed time and space to guide the ball into an empty net after Lucien recycled a cross from the left.
Farnborough had a goal ruled out in the second half for a tight offside call when Reece Miller set up Connor Cullen to finish, but Boro’ returned to Hampshire emptyhanded having also dropped back into the relegation zone.
Frome Town were flying high in second place at Step 4 in March before last season was made null and void, so Farnborough knew they would be in for a difficult afternoon on Saturday.
Boro’ had lost full-back John Oyenuga (injury), striker Miller (illness), winger Michael Fernandes (unavailable) and first team coach Ben Murray (self-isolating) before even setting off for Somerset.
Spencer Day’s side then got off to the worst possible start when Rex Mannings put the hosts ahead after just a minute.
Farnborough started to recover and were denied by goalkeeper Max Evans, who got down low to keep out Cullen’s goalbound effort on 25 minutes.
The opening goalscorer doubled the host’s lead on 56 minutes, finishing off a move down the right, despite Farnborough appeals for offside in the build-up.
Jon Davies put the game to bed on 64 minutes, charging down Bradley Pearce’s attempted clearance before wrong-footing goalkeeper Liam Beach from inside the box.
Manager Day said: “I’m gutted with the result and I’m fairly disgusted with the performance to be honest.
“We keep focusing now on starting games badly and 60 seconds in we’re one-nil down. It’s just not good enough. I thought we then pretty much dominated the first half, up the hill. Their keeper’s made one fabulous save.
“I thought we started the second half very brightly. The linesman has absolutely killed the game stone dead. The chap has got to be, from our first and only view, three or four yards offside. The linesman next to me agreed it as well. It was just ridiculous and the game’s over. Bradley then makes a mistake and we’re three-nil down.
“I was furious at the end because the reality is people spend their hard-earned money coming to watch us at the moment.
“Depending on what happens with the season, there are going to be changes. We are too young. We are too inexperienced at this level. We’re getting bullied week in, week out and we’ll have to change it.”